Happy new year everyone! I truly hope that this year brings you all lots of adventure and good fortune. Be sure to check out my latest blog post here regarding my new year resolutions!
Anyway, on to the post!
Due to the nature of my travelling, I now find it very easy to tell the difference between a conservation project and a scam. However, I fell for almost all of the scams when I first started travelling. If it wasn’t for my mum, I would be very poor and not have helped conservation at all!
So how can I tell?
The Website
Some scams are really obvious based on their website. All of the reputable projects I have worked with have impressive websites, with lots of information about the history of the project, how you can get involved, what they are hoping to achieve, and why they need volunteers.
There should be contact information available and the ability to request a brochure of information regarding volunteering.
They should also have a disclaimer stating that you might not be able to do all the fun and ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunities. If they say that you can do everything, then I don’t believe it is honest or focuses properly on the animal welfare.
The Information They Give You
Once again, all good projects I have been to have provided at least 1 booklet of information that is longer than 3 pages long.
The information in this booklet should comprise of:
- More information regarding the history of the project
- Location(s) of the project
- Accommodation provided
- Meals, if provided, or means of cooking if not
- Objectives of the project, and how they are working towards them
- What volunteers would be doing
- Rules of being a volunteer
- Frequently Asked Questions (with answers!)
- A packing list
- If communication with home is possible (wifi, signal etc)
- Showering and laundry facilities
- Other information they believe is necessary for the nature of the project
Communication Skills
I wouldn’t expect to have quick replies from these kind of projects, however I have yet to talk to a volunteer coordinator who doesn’t seem enthusiastic about new volunteers.
They should be willing to answer all of your questions and let you know about local places you could stay if you needed to.
Questions You Should Ask
As said previously, a reputable project should be willing to answer all of your questions, but it is important to ask the right ones.
- Where does the money volunteers pay, go?
- What hours are volunteers expected to work? Do they get days off?
- Are there extra activities or places volunteers can go on their day off?
- How much spending money should volunteers bring and where can you spend your money?
Previous Volunteers
I highly recommend asking if you could be put in contact with previous volunteers to ask what they thought of the project and what the realities are.
I have yet to have a reputable company deny me the opportunity to talk to someone who was in my position. They will send you to someone who loved their time there, but they should still be honest with you about the ups and downs.
The Result
Hopefully I have covered everything in this post, but I do recommend following your gut feeling. If something feels off, then there is probably something wrong.
However, if the project has all the information I have mentioned then you should be good to go!
If I have missed anything then please let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for sharing this! Scammers are getting smarter so it’s even more important to be able to figure out what is legit or not, especially when you just want to do something good.
Thank you for sharing this helpful article, this warns me and reminds me to be careful!
It’s unfortunate that we need articles like this because there are always people out there that want to take advantage people wanting to help.
I am doubtful about some initiatives being ran online. If I were to help, I would send them directly to those in need. It helps to be skeptic at times…
Wow! Great recommendations! It seems that you were able to mention the most important points. Hopefully, I can get to experience volunteering one of these days.
This is so informative. Thank you for sharing. So many when I donate I wonder about if it is legit. This will really help at finding scammers.
Great tips! actually it is important for people who want to do something good but not sure if it is clear
This is great advice. It is SO important to trace where the money is going anytime you are considering making a donation. Honestly, some of the biggest and best-known charities have really questionable financials when you start to dig into it.
This is great information to know. I have always been a bit nervous donating to things because it’s hard to tell sometimes.
This is such important information and it’s good to know what’s truthful and what’s not. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
As part of my due diligence, another tip to make sure they are legit is when they are partnered with known entities, or local government agencies. Also, their works should at least have a documentation from the mainstream newspaper.
This is excellent recommendations and advice. I will be keeping that in mind for the future.
This is a good list for trying to identify the real agencies. The fake ones seem to get better and more convincing all the time. It is unfortunate that we have to be so careful.
I totally agree about trusting your gut feeling, it something feels off…usually that is because it is!
Thank you so much for amazing insights!!! I would love to volunteer one day in a conservation, that would be amazing…
I love volunteer work I just don’t like people that try to get advantage of the volunteers this is a really great post
Thanks for sharing this, I always wonder how to go about donating to a legit cause. It is terrible that there are so many people out there who take advantage of those who are trying to donate for a good cause.
This is really helpful information – Thanks for sharing your tips! These will really help people to weed out the bad ones and find the good ones.
Great! the post is very much informative for involving volunteers as well as involved in volunteer work…
I’ll keep these in mind for sure! I always like to give back when I can and I want to be sure everything is legit.
Clear. Precise. Direct. It was impossible to get confused after reading your blog post. Thanks.
Thanks for all the tips and information. Volunteer work has always been on my mind, though the push is not that strong within yet. These will come in handy, when that time comes.